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Sal An
'''Sal An '''is the far western region of Sarthos. The area lies between the Hal 'ak Mountains and the Empty Ocean. The region is among the most remote in Sarthos, and was at one time the most culturally distinct. History The region lies beyond the imposing Hal 'ak mountains, and was therefore not explored until relatively late. The first people to settle in Sal An came to the area around 3300 PC, sailing around the north of Sarthos to reach the western coast. The rich land was quickly settled, with a steady stream of travelers coming by boat to the valley areas of Sal An. Trade and migration to the region took place almost exclusively by sea for most of the 3rd millennium, as the Hal 'ak range was not easy to cross. During this time, Sal An developed in isolation from the political powers of the east, and remained agrarian and generally non-organized. The eastern powers attempted more than once to intrude across the mountains, but were defeated by the terrain each time. Storms wrecked two major fleets in the 2400s, and in one notable case a crossing of the mountains was a catastrophic failure. Sal An had no real soldiers or large defense capabilities in the 3rd millennium, but was nonetheless well-defended. The river kingdoms discovered the mineral wealth of the mountains around 1900 PC. The harassment of Sal An became more frequent in an effort to wrest control of the hills from the Sal Ani peoples. Over the next thousand years, eastern influence would steadily grow. Safer passages were found or made in the hills, and eventually the kings of the river outright claimed parts of Sal An. This was not true in practice however; Sal An retained near total independence. But with the advent of the First Kingdom of Sarth there were stronger attempts to project power over the mountains. The First Kingdom's incursions were an astonishing successes: the first, an attack on the city state of An Tekur was a great victory, and most of the Bay of Sal An fell shortly after in the War of the West. The First Kingdom dominated for hundreds of years, all but erasing the native culture. A lull followed the fall of the First Kingdom, in which parts of Sal An reasserted themselves. But these fledgling states were quickly and easily swept up by the expansionist and powerful Second Kingdom. The capital of Sen Saro subdued most of the major cities of the coast with its superior navy, and cemented Sal An's vassal status by the 2nd century PC. Today Sal An, though a political division of the nation of Sarth, has a distinct culture and dialect from the far east. Small pockets of indigenous Sal Ani peoples still exist, mostly in the south and east of the region. Geography Sal An is defined by an enormous valley that runs parallel to the mountains, and bordered on the coastal side by low hills. Indeed, Sal An means 'place of the valley in Low Sarthosian. Down the center of the valley flows the Disha an Sal, the second largest river in Sarthos. It is fed by mountain streams and rainfall, and flows north towards the Bay of Sal An. The valley has many low areas with marshland concentrated in the northwest. Much of the area was forested, and has been cleared over centuries for agriculture. West of Sal An is the Empty Ocean and the Masha sal Kun, the sea defined by Sarthos' sweeping coast. Climate Sal An receives the most rainfall of any place in Sarthos, although Alamak receives comprable amounts in some seasons. The area is warm and wet nearly year round.